Maria's Message: Welcome to the Sellwood Bridge project web site
As the Multnomah County Commissioner for District One, my jurisdiction includes
the County bridges that span the Willamette River - from the Sauvie Island Bridge
to the Sellwood. It is my pleasure to be a part of this effort to keep you informed
and take part in the public process as we move forward with addressing the repair
or replacement of the Sellwood Bridge and the needs of the surrounding community.
When I took office in September 2001, I was immediately confronted with the task
of replacing the Sauvie Island Bridge. It was a daunting task. However, with the
work and collaboration of my office and staff, community stakeholders, state and
federal officials, and my colleagues on the Board of Commissioners, we are currently
building a new Sauvie Island bridge, due to be completed in 2008. If you visit Sauvie
Island today, you will see the results of the wonderful work in progress.
As we begin the work on the future of the Sellwood Bridge, I am confident we will
find a resolution. Much like the Sauvie Island project, it is only through collaboration
and the commitment of finding the best solution for the community that this project
will be successful.
This web site will provide you with a wealth of important information. You will
learn about the current status of the bridge, planning processes taking place, and
the many ways you can be involved. The Sellwood Bridge project will be a long process
and every step of the way I am committed to keeping the community connected and
up-to-date.
Sincerely,
Maria Rojo de Steffey
October 2006 - Open House attracts over 180 people
Selected comments from the event:
“The bridge is dangerous for all users. It needs to be designed for multiple users while respecting the neighborhood’s livability and be visually attractive. All can be achieved with good design.”
“Plan for the future - traffic growth, community growth, usability and safety!”
“Please keep Sellwood/Moreland a NEIGHBORHOOD and not a thoroughfare for outlying suburbs and truck traffic. Help us preserve the livability of our unique neighborhood with a two-lane bridge.”
“Regardless of what some people think, this is a major artery connecting southeast and southwest Portland. A two-lane bridge is woefully inadequate - a four-lane bridge with adequate access from both sides in roughly the same location should take its place.”
“Bicycle and pedestrian lanes are essential for this community. Many people use the bicycle/walking paths on both sides of the river for commuting and leisure. Also, we should put trolley lines on the new bridge to connect to the new South waterfront trolley line.”
“Please keep in mind that, frequently, when people say 'I want a two lane Sellwood Bridge', what they're trying to say is that they want a liveable neighborhood with a Tacoma Street that's pedestrian friendly, cross-able and unites, not divides their neighborhood.”
“I think a three-lane bridge would be a nice compromise. As someone who commutes over the bridge, but also lives in the neighborhood and would like to see livability sustained, it would be a nice compromise to have one center lane that switched directions at heavy traffic times.”
“I would hope that we could have a design competition for (a new Sellwood Bridge). It is an incredible addition to the fabric of our city. We live in a city who's identity comes in part from it's bridges. This should be seen as an opportunity to add to that legacy.”
July 2008 - Sellwood Bridge Project Update
What’s going on right now?
The Sellwood Bridge Project team has been very busy these past few months preparing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(Draft EIS). The five alternatives under consideration have been analyzed
to determine their impacts in a broad range of environmental categories. The alternatives also have been compared against
maintaining the bridge as it is with repairs to keep it in use for 20 more years (the “No Build” alternative). The Draft
EIS is currently being reviewed by the participating agencies.
What happens next?
After agency review, the Draft EIS will go to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for their review. The document will
then be made available to the public this fall and there will be plenty of opportunity for public discussion about the
alternatives and their impacts. Another round of public outreach will occur at that time, including another newsletter, open
house, online survey, and a public hearing on the Draft EIS. A public comment period will accompany the release of the document.
All public comments about the document received at that time will become part of the official record and will be responded to
in the final EIS.
The Community Task Force and Policy Advisory Group will then consider
the public comments before recommending a preferred alternative. This recommendation is expected to be made by the end of this year. The recommended alternative will be submitted for approval to the Multnomah County Commission, Portland City Council, and the Metro Council. After those approvals, the selected alternative will be forwarded for final approval to the FHWA.
How to get a copy of the Draft EIS
The best way to look at the Draft EIS will be to go through this website. Newsletters and other public notices will go out in
advance of the public comment period. If you are on the project mailing list, you will
receive a newsletter as well as an email to alert you of the Draft EIS availability.
Stay tuned for future monthly email updates about the project. Thank you for your continued interest and participation in the Sellwood Bridge Project.
May 2008 - Sellwood Bridge Project Update
Updated project maps
The project team continues to study the alternatives for the Draft
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS). New images of the alternatives were created during this process to show greater
detail of each alternative. The project team also created maps of the
project vicinity (or study area) and the
existing conditions within that area.
Refined Right of Way maps and an explanitory presentation (PDF, 1.51MB)
were developed as part of the Draft EIS.
Working towards completion of the first version of the Draft EIS
The team will send their first version of the Draft EIS to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in June. Comments will be
collected and incorporated before another version is sent to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in July. After FHWA approval,
the Draft EIS will then be made available to the public for comment. Public outreach will occur at that time, including an open
house and online survey. Community Task Force and Policy Advisory Group will then consider the public comments before recommending
a preferred alternative. This recommendation is expected to be made in the fall of 2008.
March 2008 - Sellwood Bridge Project Update
What’s going on right now?
The Sellwood Bridge Project is currently in the alternatives analysis phase, meaning that the consultant team is busy preparing the
technical reports that make up the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS). In December 2007, five distinct alternatives were
selected for further study in the DEIS. The five alternatives and a “no build” alternative are being analyzed to see what impacts
they have in a wide number of areas (listed above).
What happens next?
After the DEIS is prepared, it will go to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for approval. After FHWA approval, the Draft EIS
will then be made available to the public for comment. Public outreach will occur at that time, including an open house and online
survey. Community Task Force and Policy Advisory Group will then consider the public comments before recommending a preferred
alternative. This recommendation is expected to be made in the fall of 2008.
The recommended preferred alternative will then be submitted for approval to the Multnomah County Commission, Portland
City Council and the Metro Council. Votes by the three local jurisdictions are expected this fall. After those approvals, the
selected alternative will be forwarded for final approval to the FHWA.
Stay tuned for future monthly email updates about the project. Thank you for your continued interest and participation
in the Sellwood Bridge Project.
January 2008 - Project Update from Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey
The Sellwood Bridge project made great progress in 2007. The wide range of possible bridge alignments, cross-sections and
interchange types were narrowed down to five complete alternatives that
are now being analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS).
Additionally, six bridge types were selected for further analysis in the Draft EIS.
“Bridge type” refers to a general structural type – exact designs for any new or rehabilitated bridge will be determined after the
environmental study is complete. The bridge types selected are of moderate and higher price that also meet the requirements of
different alignments, users, and construction plans.
A technical team is now studying the impacts and costs of these alternatives. In late summer 2008, study results will be
announced and the public will be invited to help select a locally preferred alternative that includes a single bridge type.
Several local governments and the Federal Highway Administration need to approve the preferred alternative. We are confident
that by the end of 2008 we will know what type of bridge will be built, where it will be located and how large it will be.
Decisions about design details will be made later in the design phase.
I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work of the Sellwood Bridge Community Task Force
and Policy Advisory Group, whose
members spent many, many hours last year discussing the project, reviewing public input, deliberating various options, and
arriving at the recommendations that are being studied today. I would also like to thank you for your time and interest in
this project as well. We have been impressed that so many thousands of people have taken the time to
share their views with us.
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The Sellwood Bridge project will be a long process
and every step of the way I am committed to keeping the community connected and
up-to-date.
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